There has been one distinct place where men could/can show they were/are men. Not just men, but manly men. The one place, an honored place, where masculinity could/can be demonstrated to its fullest sometimes with no holds barred. This type of unbridled male freedom beackons for the fittest among men to come and be tested even measured against other men claiming THEIR own brute stregnth superiority. It was/is a sacred place that could/can bestow status and admiration on brave men. Society loves this type of manly man and counts on their courageousness. The manhood of these men were/are never questioned. Where was/is this place to demonstrate this beloved manhood? The military. Who were the men fellow countrymen looked up to? Army, Navy, Marines, Airforce, and SpaceForce from the Department of War.
For centuries men used their strong bodies and courage to protect their country. Citizens, without prompting, admired military men. Their uniforms were decorated with medals of honor for valour and proclaimed their rank/status amonst other men. Put a man in a uniform, and it changes him and the people who see him in the uniform.
As Donald Trump takes Americans on a military 'excursion' named Operation Epic Fury, (also referred to as a joint war operation with Israel) agaisnt Iran's terrorist nation beginning in February 2026, America began to become confused. TRUTH is, not one part of this "war" "excursion" followed Constitutinal guidelines needed to become the war of the people of America. And it seems our president does not follow any standard operating proceedures for America to actually be in a war. He seems twitterpated about getting to use high level millitary equiptment like fireworks.
But here we are. For over 47 years, many countries have had concerns of Iran having nucleur weapons or the capability to build long-range missile capable of delivering nucleur payloads to their enemies. And boy, do they have some enemies. Iran is not timid about screaming, "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."
America's involvement in this Israel-American vs Iran war is like no other seen by the American people. It is like something we have seen before on playgrounds as boys trash talk each other before and during school yard fights. Crazy threats of unseen harm is tossed around along with name calling and each has their own victory story where the opponent was obliterated. Soon, it's just comes down to who can puff their chest out the furthest, which lies of victory can be given to the people, who can pee the furthest, finally boiling down to why the fighting began - whose penis is the biggest.
But there was/is always a price to pay. In the past, war changed the soldiers and war changed societies. Men who went off to war, willing to sacrifice their life, never guessed their well fought and won successes meant there were many losers (both sides) and families who had to bury their dead.
Our Department of War gloats about killing. "We're killing them all. There's no one in control. One group rise up we kill them then the next group we kill them. We just keep bomb bomb bombing. We have the greatest military ever. No one comes close. No one can beat us. We don't need anyone else because we have equiptment you wish you had, etc. etc. etc." Many Americans were upset at President Donald Trump setting active military war scenes in video games and music reels. This administration is the administration of TOXIC MANHOOD and using our sons and daughters for play. The public has been told there will be deaths. It's part of war and made another video set to music with our military blowing tanks up and buildings.
News reporters, also known as "The Fake News" tries to point out with soldiers dying and more to possibly die if the war continues, making video games and memes is juvenile, callous, and not respectful of life lost in war of any of the people involved. Toxic Masculinity feeds on beating others down. It doesn't really matter who toxic males beat, as long as their is a fight and someone's behind is getting kicked. PURE BLOODLUST. The more force needed the more fun had. Hopefully this will only be the legacy of the Trump administration because the American people find the president's tactics of gloating about death deploreable. I have heard the term, "The President uses a lot of BLOOD PORN." Least we forget, war is not a sport nor game. Even in war, fighting forces are sensitive to the number of causualties that can't be avoided and those kills stay with those men in the same way Pro-Life people say an abortion does with a woman.
Just imagine if the Trump Administration was playing with the American people during these wars. Trump beliieved as many men in earlier wars, women should be the main person for household and children, part of his Make America Great Again idealism. I say look to the past to see the future.
World War 2 began September 1, 1939 -September 2, 1945, it was the most violent military conflict in human history. There were 38 million military and civilian deaths. The United States entered the war in 1941. The U.S lost 407, 317 men in the war. 62, 614 Navy. 21, 511 Marine. 318, 274 Army and Air Force. 1,917 Coast Gaurd.
While the men were off at war on foreign soil, women had to enter the work force to keep America functioning economically. Before World War 2, men were the breadwinner and women were wives and mothers. Of course there were women who held jobs, but that was not the status quo. Women had no other option than to work to support themselves and family during this war. The positions women held were facory workers making parts for military equipment. Drivers of trains, fire engines, and trucks moving necessary supplies in the states. And of course Nurses and ENGINEERS. America had to function in all capacities while men were at war. During this time, women were not entering the military fighting for their country. So they held down the homefront.
Society changed not due to women wanting to work. The norm was for a man to be the provider and protector of women and children. With 407,316 deaths of men, many wives were left without a returning husband. Children were left without a returning father. And the availability of men for women to marry had been limited by so many deaths of marriage aged men. After the men who survived the war returned, most women were still unable to return to their housewife role because many men returned disabled. Women had to continue to provide for themselves and their children. Young women faced not being able to find a man to marry. The nuclear family took a hit with World War 2. The landscape of who held jobs changed.
The Vietnam War began November 1, 1955 - April 30, 1975 (a 20 year war!) The United States entered the Vietnam War March 8, 1965 (10 years). There were 58,220 male deaths. 38,179 Army, 14,836 marines, 2556 Navy, and 2,580 Airforce. The total of men America lost was significatly lower in this war than in World War 2. But, this war was tragic on a different level.
There were 75,000 severly disabled men who returned from this war. 23,214 were 100% disabled. 5,283 lost limbs and 1,081 had multiple amputations. This war, women wanted to show their patriotism and serve their country in war. There were 8 service women who died during this war by accidents or illness but not from battle. Women served in the military as nurses, air traffic controllers, intelligence officers, communication specialists, physicians, secretaries, and clerks. Notice the skill level and trianing that women were now serving their country.
Before World War 2, women did not involve themselves in politics. That was a man's domain and they were happy to leave it as such. Women were thought of as frail, delicate, and not capable of intellect and should not vote because their minds could not handle the complexities of analytical or intellectual thought. Women did not challenge this train of thought for centuries. After competently holding positions allocated for men, they became aware of their capabilities. Of course there were women who longed for the days when she did not have to work, but there were many who enjoyed their ability to take care of themselves financially and to be able to work outside of the home.
By the time the Vietnam War occurred, women were competent in many job areas. Marriage and children were no longer the only option for women. They had learned they were able to learn and advance in society with or without a husband. They felt patriotic just like their male counterpart and entered the military in large numbers demonstrating their capabilities in the positions held in the military and at home while men were once again off fighting on foreign soil.
The Vietnam War was the first war where the soldier did not return home, if he survived, to a hero's welcome. This war had opposition from students, government officials, labor unions, church groups, middle class families, and the famous Dr. Martin Luther King who said Black people were fighting for another country's freedoms while not be able to have those same freedoms in America.
Mothers, wives, sisters, and girlfriends, no longer wanted to stand at train stations or piers dutifully waving their loved ones off to war knowing they may never return. Women began to call for "NO MORE WAR." 61% of the men who died were younger than 21. The average age of the soldier who died in this war was 23 years old. 17,539 of the men who went off to war were married. Once again, the nuclear family took a large hit and the marriage pool also declined again. If the fathers, sons, boyfriends returned, they could have returned disabled, unable to work. Soldiers also returned addicted to heoin given to get them back on the battlefield after injury or while recuperating in the hospital. 104,578 men returned with disabilities.
For the first time, soldiers returned to citizens who viewed them as murderes, war mongerers, stupid for even fighting in the war, addicts, and their muscular body once admired and revered was now disfigured and considered unsightly and weak. It was no longer a source of pride to be seen in military uniform. The uniform had become a source of ridicule, shame, and disdain. Bitterness all around filled the post Vietnam War atmosphere in America. I hope Trump's seizing of Fentynal won't be the drug of choice to give combat troops to get them back on the front line. Hitler used Meth on his soldiers leading to heart attacks, suicide, and addiction.
Once again, women filled vacant positions in the job force and sought out education and training to advance and enter job position which men normally held. Once again they proved their competence as a provider and now patriot.
The Afghanistan War began October 2001 - August 2011. The totals vary, but I decided to use the highest total of 7,078 deaths of servicemen/women. Once again this seems like a low total compared to the other wars. The advancement of technology made hand to hand combat outdated, equaling fewer deaths. But, there is always a price to pay for war.
Since the beginning of this war in 2001, over 1.9 million people deployed at various times. 1.9-3 million servicemen/women served post 9/11 in various positions in and out of country. 89% were men and 11% were women. But there were 30,177 suicides of service members and vets post 9/11 war. 40% of the soldiers who served have PTSD with Marines having the highest rate. 40% also have some form of disability. The major areas of disability are mental health issues, orthopedic injuries, heart disease, amputations, and Gulf War Syndrome (fatigue, fibromyalgia, and gastrointestinal disorders).
If history repeats itself, then the collateral affects of war are the same as with the previous wars. The nuclear family disrupted, marriage availability decline, inability of the soldier to return to work, soldier not revered any longer, and women continuing to excert their independence in the work arena. This is at a time where the Right is pushing for more births, adoption, and fostering of children with DEI out the window which helped more white women. Also, they have changed the age men can enlist from thirty-something to fourty-something.
I served in the First Gulf War and returned to streets lined with people thanking us for our service. Also, to this day, corporations can be heard thanking their customers who served their country. Lowe's and Home Depot give militay discounts for those who served (notice they are building supply companies. Women's clothing stores do not give women vets discounts). Now it is okay if citizens praise or disdain people who serve their country. The soldier is no longer the representation of manhood. Many blame the entrance of woman into the male dominated field for emasculating the military. But war takes away men, the provider and protector of family. You can't have men dying and disabled from war without there being consequences.
From 1973-2010 the number of women in uniform went from 42,000 to 167,000. With women able to and wanting to serve their country, the military had to change. Once women entered into the public arena, they wanted the same pay a man would receive for the same work and they wanted to work knowing they would not be bullied or harrassed for working outside the home. So, Women's Rights were an outcome of war.
Feminism, for many is a dirty word. Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that societies prioritize the male point of view and that women are treated unjustly in these societies. It's aim is not to get rid of men or make them lesser. But with everything, there are radicals.
People believe women changed the military by entering the military. Men feel as though they lost something or something was taken away from them after women were allowed to join the military. Wives, children, and single women have always lost when men went off to war. For many men who served in the military during wars, they returned feeling less of a man after having life-altering injuries.
Manhood and war no longer go hand in hand, and does anyone really want it to be what DEFINES a man?
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